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Noise is an omnipresent occupational hazard. So many workers, especially industry and construction workers all over the US, are exposed to excessive noise levels. Long-term exposure to these noise levels can cause hearing loss but can also affect human health in other ways. That’s why it’s so important to limit the exposure to excessive noise or, if that’s not possible, to use a hearing protection device (HPD). The market is flooded with all kinds of hearing protection earmuffs and earplugs, but which one should you choose?  The most important characteristic you should be looking for when choosing a hearing protection device is the device’s noise reduction rating (NRR). In layman’s terms, noise reduction rating describes the ability of a certain HPD to attenuate noise. However, there’s

Before we start talking about stereo amplifiers, let’s say a few words about amplifiers in general because we are sure many people don’t completely understand the working principle of an amplifier. What Are Amplifiers? The first amplifier was invented by an American engineer Lee de Forest in the early 1900’s. The invention was, in fact, the electron vacuum tube that was named ‘’Audion’’ and its purpose was to amplify weak current. That, however, wasn’t the final design of the amplifier as the followers of Mr. de Forest (Irving Langmuir and Edward Armstrong) managed to really understand how the amplifier worked and perfect it based on the new knowledge. They made the triode – vacuum tube with no air that contains three components (positive terminal – platinum plate, negative terminal – ca

If you are looking to buy an outdoor speaker or sports headphones/earbuds and you did your research, you have probably seen some IPX rating in the specification list or on the box of the device you want to buy. Most of today’s outdoor speakers and sports headphones/earbuds have at least IPX4 rating and some even have IPX7 or IP67 ratings. In case you are not sure what those ratings actually mean, this short article will help you understand the purpose and meaning of each IP/IPX rating. What is IPX Rating and Why is it important? IP stands for International Protection or, in some cases, Ingress Protection. IP (or IPX) rating is the marking that describes the level of protection (provided by the enclosure of the device) against dust, water, and ingress of other particles or fluids. You

Headphone driver units are the integral parts of every headphone advertisement, presentation or purchase. Drivers are mentioned every single time someone wants to point out the advantages of a certain headphone/earbud model. This leads us to the conclusion that driver units must be very important elements of every pair of headphones, regardless of their type or purpose.  However, if you ask a random person in the street about driver units, they won’t be able to give you the exact explanation because most people don’t really understand how these devices work. This is why we want to ask you a simple question. Have you ever wondered how your headphones work and how they produce the sound you love so much? If you have and you are looking for the right answer, you’ve come to the right pl

The main reason for discussing Bluetooth audio codecs is the fact that Bluetooth is the future of wireless headphones and earbuds. We’ve had some doubts for a while but the increasing number of new smartphones without aux ports has reassured even the most suspicious ones. Apple was the first company to remove the headphone jack from their iPhone 7 and some other manufacturers did the same. Does the lack of headphone jacks imply that we don't need them anymore? Well, we'll see about that later but the fact is that the modern world is all about convenience. Considering the fact that we all live faster and that we are constantly “on the go”, the necessity to make everything light, portable and simpler is perfectly understandable. Subsequently, Bluetooth technology is rapidly developing

Tired of crowded movie theaters full of loud people, dirty chairs and floors covered in snacks? We have an interesting suggestion for you – create your own home theater experience and enjoy your favorite movies in your own house. Cinemas have always been popular and they will certainly remain one of those magic places where people come to relax and enjoy their free time. However, everyone who's visited the cinema more than once knows how frustrating the whole experience can be. Cinemas are always crowded and many people just love to talk during the whole projection. Also, there are dirty auditoria, uncomfortable seats, and pricey tickets (especially if you’re taking your whole family). Of course, movie theaters wouldn’t be so popular if they didn’t have many advantages such as pe

If you’ve been buying modern electronic devices, especially earbuds and speakers, you have probably heard about the IPX4 rating. We assume that you have some basic understanding of IPX ratings but we’ve decided to write a short article about IPX4 water resistance rating and explain its meaning and importance. Many of today’s products are classified as water-resistant, water repellent, waterproof or hydrophobic. These terms are used to describe the level of protection against liquid intrusion and are often misunderstood because they are used in different situations and for different types of products. For example, the terms “water-resistant”, “water repellent” and “hydrophobic” are usually used to describe the level of clothes protection while the term “waterproof” is used to describe th

The year-end is near and it's the perfect time to look back and try to make some reflections. 2019 was an incredibly productive and exciting year for all of us at AudioReputation. We've tested so many amazing products - headphones, earbuds, speakers, home theater systems, DACs, amps, preamps, etc. Some of them were incredibly innovative, even revolutionary. Some have pushed the boundaries of exceptional sound quality and listening experience. We wanted to honor those best of the best and tell the world about their excellence. That’s what this article is about.  We’ve had a difficult time trying to make a comprehensive selection and not to forget something. There were so many great products but we finally did it. We’ve selected the best products of the year 2019 and arranged them int